HB 1208, known as the Community Safety Risk Protection Act, requires individuals in North Carolina to surrender firearms, ammunition, and related permits to law enforcement when a civil no-contact order is issued against them. This measure applies to people who have threatened violence, made threats of suicide, or caused serious injury to a victim, and it mandates that these items be stored by the sheriff until the legal order expires or is denied. The bill also outlines a process for individuals to request the return of their surrendered items after the protective order is no longer in effect, provided they are not legally prohibited from owning a firearm.
This bill aims to speed up the approval process for housing projects in North Carolina by simplifying environmental reviews and setting strict deadlines for state agencies. It allows small residential developments in existing zones to skip certain environmental documents and requires state departments to issue decisions within 60 days or face internal review. Additionally, the law creates a streamlined path for duplexes and small multi-family units in residential areas and mandates the creation of public dashboards to track permit processing times. The legislation includes funding for staffing support and explicitly states that it does not override local zoning authority or weaken environmental standards.
The Allergy Safe Schools Act aims to improve food allergy safety in North Carolina public schools by mandating that every school employ at least one full-time, permanent nurse. To support this staffing requirement, the bill allocates $92 million in recurring funds starting in the 2026-2027 school year to increase the number of school health personnel. Additionally, the legislation requires school staff to complete standardized training on recognizing and treating anaphylaxis and mandates that schools create individualized medical action plans for students with diagnosed medical emergencies. The bill also prohibits food at school celebrations and provides legal protections for employees who administer emergency medication or perform lifesaving duties in good faith.
This North Carolina bill establishes a new regulatory framework specifically for large nonresidential electricity customers who consume 50 megawatts or more. It requires electric utilities to file tariffs that include strict contract terms, such as a minimum 20-year service agreement, mandatory load usage guarantees, and significant upfront payments to cover the cost of infrastructure upgrades needed to serve these clients. The legislation also mandates that these customers pay exit fees if they terminate service early or fail to meet their contracted energy demands, ensuring that other ratepayers are not financially burdened by their departure. Additionally, the bill creates a program allowing these large customers to purchase dedicated clean energy resources while ensuring that residential and small commercial customers are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by these arrangements.
This bill repeals a previous law that expanded cooperation between local jails and federal immigration enforcement and requires a judicial warrant based on probable cause before federal agents can arrest, search, or detain individuals within North Carolina. It also prohibits state and local facilities from holding people solely on immigration detainers beyond their scheduled release time and allows local law enforcement to decline cooperation with federal immigration requests. To support these changes, the legislation appropriates four million dollars to fund legal services for immigrants, specifically directing grants to four nonprofit organizations for representation, asylum applications, and community legal education. The measures are designed to increase transparency in enforcement actions and restore community trust by limiting the use of administrative warrants and ensuring access to legal counsel.
This bill requires North Carolina public schools to provide annual firearm safety and conflict de-escalation training to students starting in kindergarten, with parents retaining the right to opt their children out of the instruction. The firearm safety component mandates teaching safe handling, storage, and emergency procedures without using live ammunition, while the de-escalation portion focuses on managing stressful situations through instruction from mental health professionals. Additionally, the legislation expands access to mental health records by requiring court clerks to conduct statewide searches when individuals apply for concealed handgun permits and modifying how judges issue involuntary commitment orders. The state will also allocate $250,000 to fund the development of these new curricula, which are scheduled to begin in the 2026-2027 school year.
SB 1018, known as the HEAL Act, establishes a funding program in North Carolina to support three-year research studies on psychedelic drugs like MDMA and psilocybin. The bill directs up to five competitive grants of at least one million dollars each to federal or academic institutions located in the state, focusing on treating trauma-related mental health conditions in specific groups such as military veterans, first responders, healthcare workers, and survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. To oversee this initiative, the legislation creates a Breakthrough Therapies Task Force composed of state officials, medical experts, tribal representatives, and legislators to assess the potential use of these medicines and recommend future regulations. All funded research must be conducted within North Carolina, adhere to federal laws, and include measurements of pain levels alongside mental health outcomes.
This bill designates Petey Pablo's song "Raise Up" as the official hip-hop song of North Carolina to honor the state's significant role in hip-hop culture. It also allocates $6.5 million over two years to fund a tourism and heritage initiative that promotes North Carolina's music scene through festivals, advertising, and a digital app. The funds are specifically intended to support events and partnerships in major cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham, as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
This bill directs the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees to study the feasibility of creating a new college of veterinary medicine at a different institution within the state. The study must evaluate the need for veterinarians, particularly those specializing in large animals, and analyze the costs and benefits of establishing the program. The board is required to submit its findings to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15, 2027, and the state will provide $300,000 to fund this research. The legislation becomes effective on July 1, 2026.
HB 1191, titled the Fostering Care in NC Act 2026, introduces several changes to how North Carolina handles cases involving juveniles and child welfare. The bill increases privacy protections by sealing court records in abuse and neglect cases and clarifying who can access them. It also updates procedures for expunging names from the responsible individuals list and requires courts to schedule permanency planning hearings within 30 days. Additionally, the act mandates that siblings be placed together whenever possible and ensures counties communicate before transferring cases to improve coordination on care and financial support.
This bill creates the Midwifery Education Grant Program to increase the number of midwives in North Carolina by funding training programs at specific University of North Carolina institutions. It provides up to $20 million in state funds to support eligible universities that offer advanced nursing degrees but currently lack certified nurse-midwife training programs. To receive grants, institutions must partner with a hospital, submit a budget, and commit to graduating at least 20 midwives within five years, with priority given to historically black colleges and universities. The legislation appropriates $4 million per institution and requires the university system to report on grant usage and program timelines to state oversight committees.
HB 1197 updates the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program by increasing forgivable loan amounts for future students and establishing stricter criteria for selecting partner teacher training institutions. Under the new rules, eligible students can receive up to $10,000 per academic year, while the program will only partner with schools that meet specific performance standards, such as high licensure pass rates and alignment with the Science of Reading. Additionally, the bill mandates a study by the Friday Institute to investigate why some participants choose to repay their loans in cash rather than fulfilling their service obligations. These changes are set to take effect for the 2026-2027 academic year, with previous program revisions applied retroactively to current participants.
